


Stubborn

by swanqueenfic13



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-16
Updated: 2016-02-16
Packaged: 2018-05-21 03:17:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6035860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swanqueenfic13/pseuds/swanqueenfic13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>i’m too short to reach the top shelf and too stubborn to get a stool. you watched me take a running leap for it before you offered to grab the book for me</p><p> </p><p>Because I don't want to forget that I'm Red Beauty trash, too</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stubborn

The library had always been your favorite place.  
When you were a kid, you could spend hours here before your father had to drag you away for meals. When you were a teenager, you’d come here after school, just sitting among the stacks, reading until the librarians had to send you home at closing time. It was a natural step to apply for a job the moment you were old enough. Getting paid to work at the library? It was like a gift.  
The only problem was the height of the stacks. You’ve never been tall, always had to use the stool to reach the books high up. It was fine when you were a child. What kid can reach books on the top of a seven foot shelf? It felt a little bit humiliating when you’re a seventeen year old girl who had been working here for over a year now. Sure, none of those have any bearing on your height, but still, it’s frustrating. So, whenever you get a book that needs to go on a top shelf, you’d rather stretch, stand on your toes, or wear your super high heels just to avoid dragging over the old, squeaky stool, letting everyone know what a failure you are for not being able to reach the top shelf.  
Of course, one day, you forget your heels. And it feels like every third book off the cart belongs on the top shelf. Without any other options, you’re stretching and hopping just to get books onto their proper shelves. When your supervisor asks you to grab something off of a high shelf for a child who requested it, you just smile, even though you know you can’t hope to reach that stupid book.  
Damnit, I will get this book. I do not need that damn stool, you think to yourself as you take a few steps back, glancing around. No one seems to be looking, so you back up as far as you can before sprinting at the shelf, leaping to try and grab the book. Even with the extra few inches that the running jump gets you, you can’t quite grab the book. And to add insult to injury (or rather, injury to insult), you fall on your ass with a groan, only to hear someone laughing.  
“Need a hand?” a feminine voice asks. You turn, red-faced to see a pair of perfect, creamy, tall legs in front of you. You follow them up to a pair of highwaisted red shorts, trademark of one Ruby Lucas, the girl you’ve been crushing on all year. A string of curses runs through your head as you bite your lip, finally looking up into her beautiful eyes. She’s smirking, trying to hold back any further laughter, holding one hand out. You take it gratefully, and she yanks you to your feet. She’s not that much taller than you, but those high heels she wears give her enough height to grab the book you had been struggling to obtain.  
“Um, thanks,” you mumbles, scurrying off to give the book to the little girl who gives you a gap-toothed grin. When she disappears, you turn to find Ruby, grinning at you. You smile nervously, and turn around again, grabbing the cart to start shelving books. Anything to get away from her before your hands do something your mind can’t control. But alas, you can hear her heels clicking away behind you. “Um, can I help you find something?” you ask quietly once you’ve reached the first shelf. She just grins even wider, and you feel like an animal cornered by a wolf.  
“I’m here to help you put away the books on the high shelves. So that you don’t fall on that cute little ass of yours again,” she whispers, her voice a seductive purr. You still, unable to figure out how to respond.  
“Uh, I, um, huh-what?” You stutter, and she laughs at your inability to form real words.  
“What? I know what I like, and it’s you,” she giggles. “Or have I misinterpreted the way you’ve been leering at me for the past year?”  
“I don’t leer,” you hiss, but the flush that covers your cheeks indicates your lie.  
“You do,” Ruby replies matter of factly. “But it’s okay. Because I stare at you plenty. I’m just better at hiding it,” she shrugs, taking a step closer. You back up nervously, slamming into the bookshelf, and when she grins at you, the only way to describe it is predatory.  
“I-I-I, um, you do?” you whisper breathlessly, and suddenly she’s leaning in, and her lips are just inches from yours and oh God this is even better than your dreams.  
“Why, Belle French, one might say I’ve left you speechless. The girl with all the words, the 800 on the SAT writing, can’t speak?”  
“Mhmm,” you squeak, because if you actually open your mouth, you’re not entirely sure of what you’d say but it might be more along the lines of “god dammit Ruby just fuck me now before I explode,” than “I swear I know how to speak.” And Ruby’s laughing, and her breath is hot on your face.   
“I like that. It’s hot,” she breathes, and before you can even process it, her lips are on yours, and her hands are on your waist. Immediately, your hands go to her hair, running through her long locks, grateful to keep it out of the way. You aren’t sure how long you’re standing there before a cough separates you like an electric shock.  
“Belle, supervisor’s walking around,” your coworker mutters, trying to keep the smirk off her face, and failing miserably. You nod hastily, trying to fix your hair, and grab a random book off the cart. You look at the call number, and realize it belongs on the top shelf. You turn sheepishly to Ruby, whose hair is mussed, and lipstick smudged.  
“Gimme a hand?” you mutter. She grins, pulling her hair into a loose bun, and smacking her lips to try and smooth out the remaining lipstick.  
“I can give you much more than that, Belle, so long as you call me,” she purrs.  
“When I’m not working,” you promise, and she practically squeals before putting the book on the shelf. Belle is thankfully sorting through when her supervisor strolls by, smiling at Belle before walking away.  
“So, when do you get off?” Ruby asks gleefully as they move on down the shelf, helping each other sort through the books and put them on the shelf.  
“An hour,” you reply.  
“I can wait,” she grins, and it’s hard to fight back your smile. You’re glad you left your heels at home that day.

**Author's Note:**

> So, guys, I know I've kind of been MIA this weekend but I've been away visiting colleges, and trying to finish these huge assignments, and essays, and picking colleges. It's been a lot, and I'm really behind in my fanfics so I can't get everything posted on my same schedule. I'm sorry about that, but I'm also very, very busy, so I hope you're not too angry with me.


End file.
